Spring coiling machine



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6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 5, 1942 INVENTORI (4E1 PETE/950M! TORNEY L Z ,HIS

y 1943- c. H. PETERSON SPRING COILING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1942 6 sheets-sheet e Hi5 A Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING COILING MACHINE Carl H. Peterson, Worcester, Mass, assi gnor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 5, 1942, Serial No. 464,631

9 Claims. (Cl. 15365) The present invention relates to improvements in spring coiling machines which make it possible to coil noncircular springs of helix-like formation comprised of straight portions connected by curved or arcuate portions. The characteristic features of the present improvement will be fully apparent from the following detailed disclosure when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and will be defined with particularity in the appended claims.

a machine embodying the present invention; 7

Figure 2' is a sectional elevation taken on the plane indicated by line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar sectional elevation taken at line IIIIII of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line IVIV of Figure 2; d v

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal section illustrative of details of the coiling, bending and skewing instrumentalities;

. Figurefi is a detail section on line Figure 5; i

' Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary detail sections on the correspondently numbered lines of Figure 5; I V

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view illustrative of the mechanism for. produc- VIVI of mg coiled helix-like springs having straight of noncircular spring which the improved ma chine maybe adapted to produce by making suitable adjustments therein;

Figure 13 is a detail partly in elevation and partly in section of an automatically actuated clutch well suited for imparting the intermittent feeding movement to the wire spring stock; and

Figure 14 is a section on line XIVXIV of Figure 13.

The present invention is directed to rather specific features of design and arrangement of coacting instrumentalities adapted to advance predetermined increments of .wire stock-and to bend portions of each advanced increment while leaving other portions straight, whereby there is formed a helix-likenoncircular coiled spring in which straight unworked portions are cone nected by bent or curved cold-worked portions. The mechanism, as will hereinafter more fully appear, is so designed and arranged that by In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of making certain adjustments, various sizes of springs can be made, also'the contour of the springs produced can be varied. More specifically, the novel machine of the invention herein claimed comprises a fixed arbor and a fixed. skew member combined with means for feeding spring wire stock into coaction therewith and in a position to be acted upon jointly by said parts and by a bending die which is mounted for movement relative to the arbor and having means provided for sequentially moving the bending die and holding itstationary for predetermined intervals while the stock feeding means are advancing the wire so that a. noncircular spring is coiled about the fixed arbor in such fashion that each convolution of the spring includes a plurality of bent or curved cold-Worked portions which are connected by. straight unworked portions.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, l0 represents the base portion of the machine which supports substantially parallel frame elements [2, I4, and I6. Power is supplied from a drive shaft l8 journalled in suitable bearings carried by the frame I6." Shaft l8 carriesa sprocket 20 around which is trained a chain 22 which in turn drives a sprocket wheel 24 ,secured to a main shaft 26. Rotating with the. shaft 26, there is a manually controlled clutch member 28 adapted to be actuated by a clutch lever 30 pivotally mounted at 32 to a suitable fixed bracket. A coacting clutch member 34 is,

mounted on the sleeve 36 whichis mounted free on the shaft 26. This sleeve carries a drive pin:

ion 38 which meshes with a gear? 40 secured to a shaft 42. This shaft 42 carries an automatically controlled clutch indicated as a whole at 44,

which clutch is adapted to control the intermit-f The gear 40 meshes with a gear 46 whichis loosely mounted on a shaft 48. Loosely mounted on the shaft 48 and rotated with the gear 46 there is another gear 50 which drives a gear 52 secured to a shaft 56 journalled in suitable bearings carried by the frames l4 and IS. The gear. 52 meshes with a driving gear 58 secured to a. shaft Bl] journalled in suitable bearings, mounted in the frames I2, l4 and I6. This shaft carries a cam 62 whose active face coacts with a cam follower 64 secured to a lever 66 which is pivoted at 68 to a bracket ll] secured to a rod 12 mounted between the frames l2 and I4. The lever 68 has a forked end I4 for engagement with a lug I6 carried by a clutch-operating ring I8 which is free in a groove formed in a collar 80 secured to the shaft :32. This collar 80 carries a stud 82 for operating a pivoted dog 84 which has a tooth for coaction with a projection 86 of a clutch element 88. The clutchelement 88 is effective to move clutch rollers 96 into and out of driving engagement with clutch members 92 and 94, the member 92 having curved wedge faces 98 which when moved in one direction will effect a driving connection with the shaft 42 and when moved in the opposite direction will permit the clutch member 94 to remain stationary while the shaft 42 continues to revolve. The clutch member 94 includes a hub extension 98 which is loosely mounted on a sleeve I60 surrounding the shaft 42. The hub extension 98 has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a pinion I62 for transmitting movement to a gear IE4 at intermittent time intervals when a driving connection is established between the member 92 and the member 94. This intermittent motion under control of the automatically operable clutch 44 is transmitted'from gear I94 to the shaft 48 to which the gear I64 is keyed or otherwise secured. This shaft 48 also carries a gear I which meshes with a gear I68 carried by shaft III The shafts 48 and Hi} respectively carry near their outer ends lower and upper pinch or feed rolls H2 and H4. The upper feed roll is mounted in a vertically movable bearing I I6 which is pressed downwardly by an adjusting screw IIB, the lower end of which reacts against a spring Iii) interposed between the end of the adjusting screw and the upper face of the bearing.

A spring wire guide I22 is provided for guiding the spring wire stock into the bite of the feed rolls, this guide having a conventional guide passageway extending therethrough. On the exit side of the feed rolls there is a similar guide I24 which, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, directs the oncoming wire stock over the top of a fixed arbor I26. The wire is directed over the top of the arbor when right-hand springs, such as herein illustrated, are to be coiled. However, in some cases by making suitable adjustmerits the wire may be directed to the underside of the arbor so as to coil left-hand springs.

A particular feature of the present invention relates to the novel arrangement of coacting instrumentalities whereby during one portion of the feeding movement or advance of the stock the same will be bent while passing over the mandrel, while for another interval of time the wire will be advancing in a straight condition. Thus, there will be produced a spring or the character illustrated in Figures and 11. In these figures it will be noted that the noncircular coil spring produced is of helix-like form, but it is not a true helix since each convolution consists of a pair of parallel side portions indicated at a and b which are connected by curved or substantially semicircular portions 0 and d. A spring as thus produced will include a multiplicity of curved portions which are cold worked, and a multiplicity of straight portions which, not having been subjected to a bending operation, will not be cold worked. This permits of the formation of a spring with a certain overall warpage or torsional twist therein which is desirablein order that a subsequent tempering or heat treating operation may be employed to bring the straight portions 0. and b of all convolutions of a given spring into true parallelism and to bring also the curved or armate portions 0 and d into alignment or coplanar relation. The curved portions 0 and d or each convolution will form as a result of the combined action of the forward feed or advance or" the wire stock coupled with the bending action of a die I28 which is moved downwardly as the wire stock advances and thus bend a portion of each convolution downwardly against the restraining action of the arbor I25. At the termination of each bending operation the wire stock is given a slight bend or fiexure as indicated at e in Figure 10 by the action of a cam-like member I39 herein referred to as a skew member. This skew member coacts jointly with the bending die and the arbor in such a way that as each coil or convolution is formed the requisite amount of lengthwise flexure is efiected to produce the approximately helical formation illustrated.

The bending die I28 is adj ustably held by means of a clamp I32 in a grooved seat I34 formed in a die holder I36 which is pivotally mounted on a stud I38 secured to the frame I2. Th die holder I36 is connected by means of an adjustable link I40 with one arm I42 of a lever which is pivoted at I44 to the frame I2. At its opposite end this lever has an arm I46 formed with a nose portion I 48 which is adapted to coact with a cam member indicated as a whole at I53. This cam member is formed of two disks I52 and I54, each having a plurality of tooth-like extensions I56 thereon-as illustrated in Figures 5 and 9. The disks which jointly constitute the cam member are adapted to be shifted one relatively to the other and clamped by meansof a bolt I53 secured tooneof the disks which passes through a slot I60 formed in the other disk. By shifting one of the disks relatively to the other and then clamping them in the desired position of adjustment a variety of contours of noncircular springs can be secured'by use of a given machine. This desirable result can be secured by reason of the fact that so long as the nose portion I48 rides on the concentric dwell portion I62 of the cam member the bending die I28 will remain stationary. At difierent intervals of time, therefore, the feed wheels will be advancing the spring stock and thus the straight portions a and b of the spring will be formed. As the cam member continues to rotate the inclined face I64 of the tooth I56 will rock the arm I42. This will transmit motion to the die holder I36. Thus the bending die I28 will be moved downwardly, thereby forming the arcuate curved portion of a given convolution. During the formation of the curved portion of th spring the inclined portion I64 of the active one of the disks of the cam member will engage nose I48. For a short time interval this nose will ride on the outer concentric portions I66 of the two disks forming the cam member. As the curved part of the convolution of the spring i completed the face I68 of one of the cam members will turn in a position so as to permit the nose I48 on the end of the arm I46 to move quickly downwardly under the action of a tension spring I10, one end of which is connected to the end of the clamp I32 and the other end of which is secured to a fixed anchorage I12, whereupon the nose I48 will ride on the next dwell portion of the cam members, thus producing another straight portion of a convolution. As the cam rotates the next tooth will come into play and form the next curved crest of a convolution. The spring being formed rotates bodily during the operations described and the skew member I38 comes into play to impart the desired helical fiexure at the proper location, .for example as suggested at e in Figure 10. :Since there are a multiplicity of toothed portions on the cam member I50 and a corresponding number of intermediate dwell portions it will be understood that for one complete revolution or cycle of the cam member a corresponding number of straight and curved portions of each convolution will be produced.

Means are provided for severing the spring stock after a predetermined number of convolutions have been formed. During the severing operation the clutch 44 is disengaged and the coiling operation is momentarily suspended. In short, the wire stock is advanced intermittently for predetermined intervals to produce a spring of desired length and number of convolutions, whereupon the feed is interrupted while the cutting mechanism is brought into play.

The cutting is effected by a vertically movable knife blade I" adjustably securedto a holder I16 carried by a slide I'I'B mounted in a gib or guide I80- The slide at its lower end has a laterally extending arm which carries a roller I82 for coaction with a cam I84 secured to the same shaft 60 which carries the clutch-operating cam 62. Knife blade I I4 ccacts with a fixed blade I86 adjustably secured to a holder I88 mounted on the side frame I2. I i Y During the coiling or forming of noncircular spring described, prior to the severing thereof the outer end of the rotating coil is supported by a trough-like member I92 having a bracket arm I94 which is secured at I96 to the side frame I2. After the spring is severed it slides down the trough I92 by gravity onto a chute leading to a belt conveyor not shown.

In the foregoing for the purpose of simplicity of illustration and disclosure the operation has been set forth with respect to the formation of a spring having parallel straight portions connected by curved or arcuate or semicircular end portions as shown in Figures 12 and 13. By adjusting the coacting parts of the cam I50 it is apparent that the size of the component straight and curved parts of such a spring may be varied. It is also to be understood that by changes in gearing and modifications in the cam I50 springs of other forms can bereadily made. For example, a substantially triangular spring as shown in Figure 12 can be produced, this spring having convolutions in the nature of three straight portions connected by three curved portions.

Although in the foregoing detailed disclosure I have described with great particularity the design and arrangement of coacting parts which an actual reduction to practice on a commercial scale has shown to be extremely efficient and highly desirable, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto since various changes may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

I claim:

1. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed arbor, a skew member adjacent thereto, means for feeding spring wire stock into coaction with the arborand skew member, a bending die mounted in juxtaposition to said arbor and skew member for movement relative thereto, and means for sequentially moving said bending die and holding it stationary for predetermined intervals while said feeding means are advancing the wire stock into coaction with the arbor, skew member and bending die, whereby a noncircular spring is coiled about the arbor in such'. manner that each convolution includes a plurality of bent cold-worked portions connected by straight unworked portions.

2; A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed cylindrical arbor, a fixed skew member adjacent thereto, a die holder pivotally mounted adjacent the arbor, a bending diesecured to the holder, means for advancing spring wire stock transversely across the arbor and into coaction with it, the bending die, and said skew member, and means forsequentially moving said holder and holding it stationary,'whereby the combined action of said die and said arbor and skew member on theadvancing wire produces a noncircular coiled spring with convolutions consisting of oppositely disposed curved cold-worked portions connected by straight unworked por tions. i A 3. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed arbor, skew member adjacent thereto, a movably mounted holder carrying a bending die positioned for coaction with said arbor and skew member, means for advancing spring wire. stock into coaction with saidarbor, skew member, and bending die, and means for sequentially moving said holder and holding it stationary, whereby the combined action of said die and said arbor and skew member on the advancing wire produces a noncircular coiled spring with convolutio-ns consisting of oppositely dise posed curved cold-worked portions connected by straight unworked portions.

4-. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed cylindrical arbor, a die holder pivotally mounted adjacent the arbor, a bending die adjustably secured to said holder, a fixed skew member mounted adjacent the arbor, means for continuously advancing spring wire stock transversely across the arbor and into coaction with it, the bending die, and said skew member, an operating lever connected to said holder and dieactuating means coacting with said lever having a plurality of respective cam portions and dwell portions for engagement with the operating lever, whereby the combined action of said die andsaid arbor and skew member on the advancing wire produces a noncircular coiled spring with convolutions consisting of oppositely disposed curved cold-worked portions connected by straight unworked portions.

5. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed cylindrical arbor, a skew member, means for advancing spring Wire stock transversely across the arbor and into coaction with it and said skew member, a die holder pivotally mounted adjacent the arbor, a bending die adjustably secured to said holder, an operating lever connected to said holder and means for actuating said die comprising a pair of juxtaposed disk-like plates adjustably secured together and each having a plurality of respective cam portions and dwell portions for engagement with the operating lever, whereby the combined action of said die, said arbor and skew member on the advancing wire produces a noncircular coiled spring with convolutions consisting of oppositely disposed curved cold-worked portions con nected by straight unworked portions.

6. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed arbor and skew member, means for feeding spring wire stock into coaction with the arbor and skew member, a bending die mounted for movement relative to the arbor, means for sequentially moving said bending die and holding it stationary for predetermined intervals while said feeding means are advancing the wire stock, a guide supported in juxtaposition to the arbor and bending die for receiving and supporting the free-end of the spring as it is being formed, cutting meanslocated between the outer end of said-arbor and the inner end of said guide and means for periodically actuating said cutting means after a spring-of predetermined length has been accumuiatedin saidguide.

"I. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed arbor and skew member, means for feeding'spring wire stock into-coaction with the arbor and skew member, a bending vdie mounted for movement relative to the arbor, means for sequentially moving said bendingdie and holding it stationary for predetermined in tervals while said feeding means are advancing the wire stock, a guide supported in juxtaposition to the arbor and bending die for receiving and supporting the free end of the :spring'as it is being formed, respective fixed and movable cutter blades located in a zone intermediate the outer end of said mandrel and the inner end of said guide, and means for periodically actuating said movable blade after a spring of predetermined length has been accumulated in said guide.

8. A machine for making noncircular springs comprising a fixed cylindrical arbor, a skew member, means for advancing spring wireistock transversely across the arbor and into coaction with it-and said skew member, a die holder piv otally mounted adjacentthe arbor, a bending die adjustabiy 'm'ounted on the holder,-an operating member connected to the holder, and a cam made in itwo parts adjustably secured together effective to actuate the die vholder through said operatiin-g membergeach ofsaid cam parts'having a plurality of tooth-like cam portions between which are circular dwell portions and means for rotating saidcam intermittently in synchronism with the said Wire feed -means.

9. In a machine for-making noncircular springs intermittently operating wire spring stock feedingmeans, an arbor and skew member into 00- action with which the stock is advanced intermittently by said feeding means, a bending die, means intermittently moved in timed relation with said feeding means effective to move said bending die while the feeding means is advancing a predetermined length of spring stock past said arbor and skew member and to hold said bending die stationary for predetermined intervals-while the feed-movements continue, whereby a spring is'coiled about the arbor'comprising several convolutions each having straight portions which were formed while the die was held stationary and curved portions which were formed while the die was being moved relative tosaid arbor.

CARL H. PETERSON. 

